Article August 1, 1988 Issue

Lessons learned on a paper route

Tracy Williams Cheney

At first, you might think this is just a story about a paper route and a mean dog, but really, it's about healing anger and a bad temper—mine.

Toward the end of the summer I was visiting some relatives in another state when my mom called and asked me to come home. She wanted me to help take over my brother's paper route. I couldn't believe my ears! I felt I deserved my vacation. After all, I had worked after school, on weekends, and in the summers to help pay my own expenses, since my family didn't have very much money.

My two younger brothers had been sharing this paper route for only a short time. Now one had quit. My sister said she wouldn't do it, but my younger brother still wanted to continue. The route was much too large for a ten-year-old to handle alone, so Mom felt she had to give me the responsibility, since I was the oldest.

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Article

The love that moves us beyond grief and guilt